Addiction specialist explains how stars end up in drug treatment

Although drug and alcohol addiction is common and affects everyone, regardless of race, gender or class, it’s not always easy for stars like Liam Payne seek and obtain treatment.

“In the beginning, you start out with all the fun, then you graduate to problems, and then you graduate to all the problems, and (then) you’re creating debris in your life,” addiction expert. Richard Taite explained exclusively Us Weekly on Monday, October 21. “You get to a point where you can’t take it anymore, the people around you can’t take it anymore, (so) you go to rehabilitation.”

Although Taite never worked with Payne in the past, he has worked with Hollywood stars who needed professional help to successfully deal with their substance or alcohol use. Taite, founder of the Carrara Luxury Rehab & Addiction Treatment Center in Malibu, said that in his experience, he has realized how a celebrity’s “agents and managers” plus “star doctors” can contribute and even all made worse by a possible drug or alcohol. problem

“It’s hard because everyone kisses each other’s ass,” she explained. “I mean, look, it’s the same reason Matthew Perry, prince i elvis dead.”

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In addition to a potentially enabling situation, living in the spotlight can also play a role in contributing to a variety of mental health struggles that can be exacerbated by alcohol and drug use.

“I think that kind of thing is overwhelming for anybody,” Taite said of the responsibility a star can feel he has to his fans. “Whether they’re addicted or not, it’s overwhelming for anyone.”

While everyone’s journey is different, Taite acknowledged that a person’s emotional well-being usually plays a factor in whether or not they turn to substances.

“Drug addiction doesn’t happen by itself, it happens for certain reasons, and one of the reasons is because people are in pain and they start taking drugs,” he said. “And pain relievers tend to work better with emotional pain than physical pain.”

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Taite shared that when a celebrity comes to one of their facilities for help, it’s always “volunteer.” Patients who choose to seek inpatient treatment can stay “between 30 and 90 days” depending on the severity of their problem.

“Our hook is love, empathy, respect, restraint and tuning in to someone’s needs before they realize they have a need,” she explained. “So when they’re assessed and watched for the first three to five days, when they’re going through their detox, we’re determining what interventions would be appropriate.”

Taite added that the process at his centers is “different for everyone,” as Carrara focuses on “individualized treatment.” In addition to fighting drug use, Carrara also offers programs related to alcohol.

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After treatment is complete, Taite told us she encourages all patients to use outpatient therapy to help ensure they stay on their path to recovery. He also advocated having a sober partner they can trust.

“Every celebrity I’ve ever dealt with, (or) almost every celebrity, is doing well, and the reason they’re doing well is because when they leave here, they leave with a sober partner,” he shared. “They leave with a full exit plan and accept (outpatient therapy) two or three times a week.”

Taite added that going to rehab is like building a “big foundation” that needs to be sustained beyond the walls of a drug treatment facility.

With reporting by Sarah Jones